editorNPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94NPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94Tom HuizengaFri, 16 Sep 2016 09:22:53 +0000Tom Huizengahttp://kwit.org
Tom HuizengaLife After A Brain Injury: 'I'm Not Terrified Of Death Anymore'http://kwit.org/post/life-after-brain-injury-im-not-terrified-death-anymore
93890 as http://kwit.orgThu, 15 Sep 2016 16:08:00 +0000Life After A Brain Injury: 'I'm Not Terrified Of Death Anymore'Tom Huizengahttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQhpWsRhQGs Harrowing tales of mountain climbing filled theaters this summer in such films as Meru and Everest. But exactly 100 years ago today, audiences took a different kind of climb when Richard Strauss premiered An Alpine Symphony, a majestic, musical depiction of a dawn-to-dusk hike up the Alps.We've rounded up two Alpine Symphony experts to be our trail guides up the mountain. Semyon Bychkov is conducting the symphony tomorrow night with Los Angeles Philharmonic. David Hurwitz is the author of Richard Strauss: An Owner's Manual and, like any good guide, he starts with a little background."An Alpine Symphony was Strauss' last tone poem," he says. "By the time he wrote it, he'd achieved a level of mastery in orchestration which was pretty impressive, and this uses one of the largest orchestras ever assembled by anybody, especially in the brass department. It has 20 French horns, two sets of timpani, lots of extra trumpets and trombones, a windRichard Strauss' Musical Mountain Climbhttp://kwit.org/post/richard-strauss-musical-mountain-climb
75502 as http://kwit.orgWed, 28 Oct 2015 20:46:00 +0000Richard Strauss' Musical Mountain ClimbTom Huizengahttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HzkvUOyTYFg It may be deep midwinter, when music releases are usually sparse, but this month a surprising crop of intriguing classical albums has popped up. In this visit to All Things Considered, host Arun Rath and I listen to a fearless Boston orchestra powering through a symphonic blockbuster by American composer Andrew Norman, as well as a smartly programmed album by the British Aurora Orchestra that includes a Paul Simon song. The popular Anderson and Roe piano duo takes on the sturdy music of Bach, and we'll meet Sonya Yoncheva, a Bulgarian soprano whose star is on the rise. Copyright 2015 NPR. To see more, visit ARUN RATH, HOST: Thanks again for listening to ALL THINGS CONSIDERED from NPR West. I'm Arun Rath.(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "APPALACHIAN SPRING")RATH: And that is the music of Aaron Copland, performed by the Aurora Orchestra. It's a new recording that's caught the ear of our guest, NPR classical music producer and co-host of the blog, DeceptiveBach, Brits And A Bodacious Boston Orchestra: New Classical Albumshttp://kwit.org/post/bach-brits-and-bodacious-boston-orchestra-new-classical-albums
59673 as http://kwit.orgSat, 31 Jan 2015 22:05:00 +0000Bach, Brits And A Bodacious Boston Orchestra: New Classical AlbumsTom HuizengaTwo hundred years ago today, in a small northern Italian village, a couple named Verdi — tavern owners by trade — welcomed the birth of a baby boy who would later change the face of opera forever. And, whether we recognize it or not, on the bicentennial of his birth, Giuseppe Verdi is still vital.His natural habitat is the opera house, but over the years Verdi's music has taken up residence in some surprising places, from the Marx Brothers' 1935 spoof of Il trovatore in A Night at the Opera, to last month when Renee Fleming sang the Top 10 list on Letterman to the pulsing drive of his Requiem in a Doritos ad.And we could go on. But William Berger, author of the book Verdi With a Vengeance, says the way Verdi intersects with our lives goes much deeper than Doritos. Verdi is our supreme storyteller."I don't mean it's a plot about who did what to whom," Berger says. "I'm talking about stories that really show how people work."Take the title character in Verdi's Rigoletto, for example. HeVerdi's Operas: A Vigorous Soundtrack To Human Naturehttp://kwit.org/post/verdis-operas-vigorous-soundtrack-human-nature
31799 as http://kwit.orgThu, 10 Oct 2013 06:54:00 +0000Verdi's Operas: A Vigorous Soundtrack To Human NatureTom HuizengaPeople ask why I thrive on classical music, and I tell them it's all about discovery. The possibilities for finding incredible music, both old and new, are endless as the oceans. And on this visit to All Things Considered, host Jacki Lyden and I explore new music from the young Caleb Burhans that echoes an older liturgical style and a new concerto for banjo by Béla Fleck, plus a pair of concertos written 30 years apart by a Fleck namesake, Béla Bartók. And we'll slip into the elegant world of the fin-de-siècle Parisian salons via the perfumed music of Reynaldo Hahn. Copyright 2013 NPR. To see more, visit JACKI LYDEN, HOST: And it's time now for music.(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC, "THE IMPOSTOR CONCERTO")LYDEN: This jaunty piece of orchestral music is performed by the Nashville Symphony Orchestra. It's one of the many new albums that my guest NPR classical producer Tom Huizenga has brought with him today. Welcome back to the program, Tom.TOM HUIZENGA, BYLINE: Great to see you again, Jacki.LYDEN:Banjos, Bartók And La Belle Époque: New Classical Albumshttp://kwit.org/post/banjos-bart-k-and-la-belle-poque-new-classical-albums
29868 as http://kwit.orgSun, 08 Sep 2013 21:33:00 +0000Banjos, Bartók And La Belle Époque: New Classical AlbumsTom HuizengaIt's a brave new musical world. Between downloads, iPods, music sharing websites and the good old CD, we have more easy access to the songs and symphonies we love than ever before. In this visit to All Things Considered, host Jacki Lyden and I explore an East meets West mashup in a concerto for Persian ney (bamboo flute) and orchestra, a young composer who treats electronic and acoustic instruments as equals, an opera star who goes back to church and a violinist who plays Vivaldi with delicious abandon. Copyright 2013 NPR. To see more, visit JACKI LYDEN, HOST: If you're just joining us, this is WEEKENDS on ALL THINGS CONSIDERED from NPR NEWS. I'm Jackie Lyden. And it's time now for music.(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC, "ECSTATIC DANCE")LYDEN: This is music by Iranian composer Reza Vali, a concerto called "Toward the Endless Plain," and it's just one of a handful of new recordings that's caught the ear of my guest, NPR classical music producer Tom Huizenga.Tom, welcome back to the program.TOMRevved-up Vivaldi, Persian Bamboo And Soaring Spirituals: New Classical Albumshttp://kwit.org/post/revved-vivaldi-persian-bamboo-and-soaring-spirituals-new-classical-albums
26394 as http://kwit.orgSun, 30 Jun 2013 09:00:00 +0000Revved-up Vivaldi, Persian Bamboo And Soaring Spirituals: New Classical AlbumsTom HuizengaRobert Frost's famous poem "The Road Not Taken" begins with the line: "Two roads diverged in a yellow wood." Frost's traveler must choose between them. But slide that metaphor over to the world of classical music and you will discover hundreds of paths to explore. In this visit to All Things Considered, host Jacki Lyden and I share the radiant voices of a top-notch Latvian choir; the bustling energy of a young, smart string quartet; the sophistication of a venerable but embattled symphony orchestra; and a potent alliance between a jazz composer and an adventuresome opera singer. Copyright 2014 NPR. To see more, visit JACKI LYDEN, HOST: If you're just joining us, this is WEEKENDS on ALL THINGS CONSIDERED from NPR News. I'm Jacki Lyden. And it's time now for music.(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC, "RACHMANINOV: ALL-NIGHT VIGIL")LYDEN: This is the Latvian Radio Choir singing music by Rachmaninov, just one of the handful of intriguing recordings that have recently crossed the desk of our guest, NPR'sVespers, Habaneras And Early Morning Walks: New Classical Albumshttp://kwit.org/post/vespers-habaneras-and-early-morning-walks-new-classical-albums
22510 as http://kwit.orgSun, 07 Apr 2013 00:37:00 +0000Vespers, Habaneras And Early Morning Walks: New Classical AlbumsTom Huizengahttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rr-csOGecGc http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NH4rSCabUWg http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39h3VVfOoW0 Is it just me, or does it seem like Santa is delivering far fewer classical Christmas albums these days? Decades ago, many of the top opera divas — from Renata Tebaldi to Joan Sutherland — released Christmas records. Then there were choral conductors like Robert Shaw and prominent British choirs like the one at Westminster Abbey.The flow hasn't stopped; it's merely slowed to a trickle. In an age when fewer classical albums are selling, and fewer artists are signed to big labels, perhaps the notion of releasing a Christmas record is more trouble than it's worth. Joseph Oerke, with Deutsche Grammophon and Decca Classics in the U.S., reminded me, though, that a few big opera stars, like Bryn Terfel, are still cutting Christmas discs. And although Christmas albums, he said, "are predominantly focused on the U.S. market with generally less traction in otherWhatever Happened To The Classical Christmas Album?http://kwit.org/post/what-ever-happened-classical-christmas-album
18250 as http://kwit.orgMon, 24 Dec 2012 20:03:00 +0000Whatever Happened To The Classical Christmas Album?Tom HuizengaFrom mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli's ambitious revival of the early Baroque composer Agostino Stefani (and yes, she's got another outrageous album cover) to three very different roles for the violin, here's a clutch of classical albums I returned to again and again this year for sheer delight and aural inspiration. Bartoli lavishes extravagant attention on the music of a fascinating but forgotten link in the history of opera. Daniel Hope shines in an amusing overhaul of Vivaldi's Four Seasons. Hilary Hahn thwarts classical music convention to improvise with an avant-garde pianist. And MacArthur "genius" Leila Josefowicz brings to life a shimmering violin concerto — and musical farewell — from conductor-composer Esa-Pekka Salonen. Click on the listen link to hear Weekends on All Things Considered host Guy Raz and I spin the albums, and check out the list below for longer excerpts of the music.(Click here for NPR Classical's Top 10 Albums of the year) Copyright 2013 NPR. To see more,A Bald Mezzo And Three Shades Of Violin: Classical Favorites From 2012http://kwit.org/post/bald-mezzo-and-three-shades-violin-classical-favorites-2012
17644 as http://kwit.orgSun, 09 Dec 2012 20:04:00 +0000A Bald Mezzo And Three Shades Of Violin: Classical Favorites From 2012Tom Huizengahttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1stGn4NA-tU Tom Cole's appreciation of Elliott Carter's life, which includes interviews with Carter and musicians Charles Rosen and Ursula Oppens, airs Tuesday on All Things Considered. To hear the segment, click the audio link.The dean of American modernist composers, Elliott Carter, died in New York City Monday. He was just about a month shy of his 104th birthday.Carter's music, while often thorny and complex, was championed by many of the world's great orchestras and conductors. He also wrote in a wide variety of genres including songs, opera and chamber music, which earned him Pulitzer Prizes for his string quartets in 1960 and 1973.Carter's Cello Sonata, from 1948, was a bold breakthrough, written for cellist Bernard Greenhouse, who later co-founded the Beaux Arts Trio."The Cello Sonata was extremely modern at that time," Carter told NPR's Tom Cole in a 2008 interview, the year he celebrated his 100th birthday. "I could not get it published. AndElliott Carter, Giant Of American Music, Dies At 103http://kwit.org/post/elliott-carter-giant-american-music-dies-103
16322 as http://kwit.orgTue, 06 Nov 2012 20:50:00 +0000Elliott Carter, Giant Of American Music, Dies At 103Tom HuizengaSome people are intimidated by the vastness of classical music. And while the prospect of more than 1,000 years of hits to consider may be daunting, just think instead of how many musical journeys of discovery can be made. On this visit with weekends on All Things Considered host Guy Raz, he and I explore the soothing and the headbanging sides of Anton Bruckner, the timeless spirituality of Arvo Pärt's choral music, a cheeky pop and classical integration and a gifted young Israeli pianist who plays Debussy and Ravel as if he were a born Frenchman. Copyright 2014 NPR. To see more, visit GUY RAZ, HOST: And if you're just joining us, this is WEEKENDS on ALL THINGS CONSIDERED from NPR News. I'm Guy Raz. And it's time now for music. NPR classical producer Tom Huizenga is back again with some new recordings that have caught his ear.(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)RAZ: This is one of those recordings. It's by the young Israeli-born pianist Inan Barnatan. He's playing Maurice Ravel. And Tom is with me inHeadbanging Bruckner And Debussy In Black And White: New Classical Albumshttp://kwit.org/post/headbanging-bruckner-and-debussy-black-and-white-new-classical-albums
11969 as http://kwit.orgSun, 05 Aug 2012 19:30:00 +0000Headbanging Bruckner And Debussy In Black And White: New Classical AlbumsTom Huizengahttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IizWc4cJwbw http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZARDqznfyo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsB4a--WRTs In case you've been hiding under a rock, a friendly little assortment of international games called the Olympics begins in London Friday.That means conversations at water coolers and cocktail parties will soon be overtaken by all things Olympic. So there's precious little time to bone up on your Olympic fanfares and hymns.Let's start with the classic (above). People will be impressed when you inform them that the real title to this Olympic fanfare is actually "Bugler's Dream." They'll nod when you remind them it was the theme music for ABC's Olympic coverage beginning in the late 1960s.The music was written by Leo Arnaud, a French-born American composer also known for his movie scores. He was nominated for an Oscar for arranging the music to the 1964 film The Unsinkable Molly Brown.In strict classical circles, it will be important to point out that Arnaud,A Know-It-All's Guide To Olympic Musichttp://kwit.org/post/know-it-alls-guide-olympic-music
11486 as http://kwit.orgThu, 26 Jul 2012 13:52:00 +0000A Know-It-All's Guide To Olympic MusicTom HuizengaAlthough it always seems fashionable to forecast the downfall of classical music, enterprising musicians both young and not so young continue to make deeply satisfying recordings. For this visit to weekends on All Things Considered, I was delighted to uncover the little known (at least in this country) Jorge Luis Prats, a terrifically talented Cuban pianist whose once uncertain career appears to be resurging — at 55, he has signed a handsome record deal. Then there's The Knights, a young chamber orchestra with a postmodern take on Schubert. They cleverly juxtapose his music with kindred spirits from the 20th and 21st centuries — Erik Satie, Philip Glass and Morton Feldman. Conductor John Eliot Gardiner, now an elder statesman of the period instrument movement, takes his second shot at the Brahms German Requiem with extraordinary results. And on the lighter side, Israeli composer Ronn Yedidia writes sparkling music for a great clarinetist. Listen to excerpts from these new releasesFireworks From Cuba, And Schubert That Grooves: New Classical Albumshttp://kwit.org/post/fireworks-cuba-and-schubert-grooves-new-classical-albums
7563 as http://kwit.orgSat, 05 May 2012 19:41:00 +0000Fireworks From Cuba, And Schubert That Grooves: New Classical AlbumsTom HuizengaWhat's the saying — the more things change, the more they stay the same? It seems that's how it goes in the ways we make music. MIT futurologist Tod Machover rethinks traditional instruments, coming up with new things like the hyperpiano; Pianist Michael Chertock gives it a go in an explosive excerpt below. And the piano itself, once considered a hi-tech invention, wasn't yet on the market when Handel published his keyboard suites. Lisa Smirnova makes a strong case for Handel's terrific harpsichord music using a modern Steinway. And then there's the original instrument — the human voice. For this visit to Weekends on All Things Considered, I opted for both adult and kids' voices — the exquisitely trained Tapiola Children's Choir sings music by compatriot Einojuhani Rautavaara, and Dmitri Hvorostovsky, with his voluptuous and velvety baritone, sings a Rachmaninov romance for Valentine's Day. Copyright 2012 National Public Radio. To see more, visit (SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)GUY RAZ, HOST: TimeFrom Hyperpianos To Harmonious Handel: New Classical Albumshttp://kwit.org/post/hyperpianos-harmonious-handel-new-classical-albums
3418 as http://kwit.orgSun, 12 Feb 2012 17:51:00 +0000From Hyperpianos To Harmonious Handel: New Classical Albums